Youkai Whispers
by Vixeria
Summary: With an empty house, a husband she so rarely sees, and nothing but lonely dinners and fine wine to keep her company, Kagome is at a loss as to what to do. After a suggestion from her mother and loving husband, she practically jumps at the chance for a change in scenery. Now on what seems like the longest vacation of her life, can she recover what she had lost so long ago?
1. Prologue: I Think You Need A Break

_**A/N: This story takes place during the modern day. Youkai are well-known all over the world, so humans and demons coexist rather peacefully in this particular story.**_

 ** _Please ignore any typos that may occur during the story. This story hasn't been completed just yet, but I'm working on it. Yes, I know, I have SEVERAL other stories I need to get a move on with buuuuut... I had an itch to tell this story. I started this story before one of my other ones, actually. "Going Under" was actually made after this particular story...I just didn't have the courage to post these few chapters for this story. Personally, I think I've done a good job with these few chapters. I will probably be posting chapters back-to-back for this story, so keep an eye out on it!_**

 ** _I hope everyone enjoys this story!_**

* * *

 _ **Prologue: I Think You Need A Break**_

"You're insane if you think they're just going to go for it," she said over the phone. It was getting close to closing time, soon enough, she will have to be heading home to get started on yet another lonely dinner. After a few moments of someone speaking over the phone she sighed, "Look, just hold them off till tomorrow that- no, it's _not. Again_ , just hold them off till tomorrow afternoon. When I come in, yes. When I come in, just be sure to have the paperwork ready. We'll have the meeting the second I'm clocked in. There's no problem so long as we get it done and over with." After a second or two she nodded her head, "Right. Yeah, see you tomorrow. Thanks."

With a sigh, she pinched the bridge of her nose before reaching over to a few documents and signing off on them. A knock at her door caused her to momentarily pause before she reached over with a file. "Boss says you can go ahead and head out for the evening," a woman's voice filtered in through her mind. "Are those the documents for the admins?"

"Yes," she responded, "they're all yours now. Signed and grammar corrected. Just hand them in."

"Alright," the woman replied, "I'll see you later, I'm headed straight to the office now, then it's off to home!"

"Alright, catch ya' later, Claire," she said as she rubbed her temples.

"Get some good sleep tonight – big day tomorrow, after all," Claire replied and she nodded. Once the blonde-haired Claire went on her way, she was once again left to her own thoughts. She stopped writing for a moment and pressed her hands to her temple.

She eyed her cell phone next to her before actually picking it up and dialing a number. It rang a few times before someone on the other end finally picked it up. "Hey, Shinji, is Houjo around?" She asked, looking at her watch. "Yeah? Is he too busy? He can always just call me when he get's off...oh gosh, no, no its oka- okay."

" _Kagome?"_ She heard his voice on the other end and instantly she began to relax. She swiveled about on her chair, stacking her papers a bit as she chatted. Humming, she answered his greeting. _"Is there anything wrong?"_

"Mm, mm," she said, shaking her head. "I don't suppose there's any way we're going to have dinner together tonight, is there?"

" _Kagome, my love, you know as much as I that we can't always have what we want,"_ she sighed at that. It was the same speech all the time... _"Love, don't be that way. I know how you are. I promise, we'll have dinner together soon. Look, I really have to get back to work, my boss is already calling me to get over there."_

Kagome shook her head, "Okay...I guess I'll see you later. I love you..."

" _I'm coming, don't worry! I just need need a minute or two – I'll see you later, Love, be careful."_

"Right...bye," she said right as there was a dial tone. With a sigh, she stood from her chair and placed her phone in her pocket. She was done for the day...

When she got home, she heat up some left over lasagna and ended up sitting in front of the tv, checking over whatever mail they had that day. Nothing interesting until she had a phone call from her mother.

" _Hello, dear,"_ she heard her mother greet.

"Hey, Mom," she said with a slight smile, "How goes things?"

" _Well, Souta will be getting married soon, and he would invite you himself, but because he doesn't own a phone at the moment...you know how it is. What's with that tone? Don't tell me – Houjo couldn't be there tonight."_

"You guessed it," Kagome sighed, "I just...I don't understand why he can't be here. It feels like he's putting his job before me and well, it's just getting a little...ridiculous."

" _I see. Sweetheart,"_ Kagome knew that tone. She didn't want to hear it. She already knew what she would say... _"You know he has only the best intentions. He's working to one day support you with a child. He's trying to build up, Sweetie. He's already close to having a supervisor status, and you know that. He wants a baby..."_

" **Moooom** ," she huffed, "I'm not going to be having kids now or anytime _soon_. I was _trying_ to say that I don't know what to do. I'm so lonely...I mean yeah, I've got everyone at the museum, but still..."

" _I feel like you just need a break, is all,"_ her mother said as she took another bite of her lasagna.

"I'll see what Houjo thinks about it all..." She said when she realized there was another person calling. "Oh, Mom, I'll call you back. There is someone calling me."

" _Alright,dear, I love you, and be careful. I promise, things will always work out, for better or worse – that's what you said when you married him, remember?"_

"Absolutely," Kagome said with a nod, realizing that her mother had once again cheered her up. "I remember, Mama, I love you, too. I'll chat with you later." She pushed call to answer the other call, "Hello?"

" _Kagome, I'm glad you picked up. I was beginning to think you had gone to bed already,"_ she heard his voice. Why was he calling her so late? In fact, normally, he'd be home by now. _"My love, I wanted to let you know that I'm going to probably be working well into the early morning. There's a gigantic shipment coming overnight and they need someone to guide in the Diesel. They gave me about forty-five minutes to do whatever._

" _Now, before you get mad, I promise, it wasn't my intention. I love you, you know that, right? I'm just heavy at work right now, my love. I wanted to spend this time to talk with you._

" _Now, I know this might seem silly, but I feel like you need a break. Why don't you take one? Go somewhere with your friends? Go out and have some fun? Oh, I know! Go on a trip!"_

"Now hold on just a minute!" Kagome intervened, "I can't just pack up and take a break – we have a really big exhibit about to happen and-"

" _Oh come now, Kagome,"_ Houjo interrupted, _"They can do without **one** time of you being the main show. I mean, come on, they have other employees. Think about it, Kagome, if you were to go and enjoy yourself, perhaps, maybe, you can...umm...well, maybe you'll feel better._

" _Don't think I haven't noticed, Love,"_ she hummed as she listened to what he had to say. A break, honestly, didn't sound like a bad idea. She wanted to feel a little on the free side. She had the money saved – in fact, she could probably get married three times and still have some left over to pay for an entire house. Idly, she wondered if her mother had talked to Houjo before she herself. _"I've noticed that...well...you haven't really been well._

" _You're losing a little bit of weight...and I've also noticed that you space out when we're together. Kagome...I want you to take a break. I don't care if it's now or later, just...promise you'll be okay?"_

Kagome snapped out of whatever stupor she had gotten herself into to actually listen to his words. She felt as if she were drowning...she felt it every day at work. "I'll do it." She heard him sputter for a second, "I'll do it, Houjo. But...I don't know when I'll come back."

" _Okay,"_ he finally said after a very long silence. _"When will you leave?"_

"After I get everything packed tomorrow," Kagome said with a gentle smile. "I'm going to go ahead and tell the boss that I can sign docs over my laptop. I'll just...I'll figure something out. I'm going to go ahead and check the bank when I'm finished chatting with you."

The rest of the conversation was spent talking about the different places she would visit as well as the things she may or may not see. When Houjo's time was up, true to his word, he left to finish up work, and she went about her own business.


	2. Chapter 01: Getting Cozy

**_Hope you like the chapter!_**

* * *

 ** _Chapter_01: Getting Cozy_**

Kagome looked at the long stretch of road ahead of her. She was smiling to herself. She felt freer than ever and it felt as if there was nothing stopping her either. The road was something she always enjoyed during her teenage years. Her parents use to take her on trips constantly and she always enjoyed the many views her window seat had to offer.

Unforunately, after her father passed away, they gradually stopped taking trips around Japan and the United States. She had been a bit upset over it, but things had begun to look up when she was offered a position at a rather popular museum. Of course, this was just after she completed high school. Luckily, she took the job, because otherwise, she would never have been able to travel around like she does today.

She had an above average check that consisted of more money than she could even spend in a weekend. She had her own home after living for some time with her own family. She even had an expensive, brand new car. It was wonderful. Life couldn't possibly be fuller for her. It made her day when when Houjo proposed to her, too. At first, she didn't want to get married. In fact, far from it. She wasn't interested in men, not really. And when she had finally gotten around to getting things settled, she actually contemplated marrying Houjo. And then they moved in together. It took a while for them to actually get married. Hell, it took them a while just to have sex...and for her, it wasn't even satisfying.

But aside from that, she dealt with whatever came her way. When she finally agreed after Houjo had asked for the third time on whether or not she wanted to get married, things had really brightened for them both. It wasn't until after the whole marriage ceremony when he was offered a job at Yokai Incorporated, a warehouse facility, that they had begun to drift apart, if only slightly.

After about three years, and having dealt with it all...she was finally enjoying some alone time – and on a trip no less! She was excited about the people she'd meet and the different cultures she just might learn. She was anxious to get to wherever it was she was going, and she couldn't wait to get there!

With a smile on her face, she drove the last stretch of a lonely country road right out into a forest. Her sense of adventure simply spurred her on forward, and she didn't look back.

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"Stupid car!" She screamed aloud as she kicked the tire of the vehicle. Being upset didn't even come close to covering how she felt; a brand new 2015, Nissan and it overheats half way down a long stretch of road. Let's not even talk about how late it was already beginning to get.

She had already tried calling the emergency number in case her car broke down somewhere, but the connection kept getting lost on her cell phone. She didn't even bother trying to contact Houjo or her mother – after all, if her cell couldn't get through for her emergency pick-up, then why would it pick up for anyone else?

With a sigh, she huffed and threw herself to the ground, leaned up against the car's tire. She ran her hand through her hair, and sighed. She was exhausted from traveling for so long and all she wanted was a nice fluffy pillow and blanket to boot. That is, of course...until she saw the oncoming lights down the ways from where she had been coming from.

Quickly, she stood and brushed herself off. It would seem that luck was on her side today... She waved whoever was in the truck down...and just when she thought they would pass her, it stopped a little ways in front of the vehicle.

"You sure are a ways away from the town..." A woman's voice called out to her. "We don't really have any tools on us, and we're also headed to a pretty remote horse ranch, but you're more than welcome to come along." That same woman came walking out towards her in greeting. "My name is Sango, by the way."

"Kagome," she said with a nod of her head, "thank God you guys came along. I don't think I'd have lasted very long otherwise."

"What happened?" A boy came out of the passenger's side of the truck, holding a lollipop in his hands before popping it into his mouthing.

"Hey, Shippou," Sango said, rubbing his head, "good to see you're finally awake."

"It was getting bumpy, and also, I found a lollipop while you were gone from the truck," he said with a grin. "Who is the pretty lady?" He asked, nodding towards Kagome.

"This is Kagome," she replied with a smile.

"Hi," Kagome said in response, and shook the boy's sticky hand. Apparently, the boy had a sweet tooth for his hands were massively covered in sticky gooey stuff that seemed to plaster onto her own hands. She forced herself to keep from wiping her hand on her pants and smiled at them both. "So, what should I do?" She asked, directing her question to Sango.

"Well, for one, your car looks like it's ready to explode," Sango said, cringing as she looked at the insane amount of steam and smoke rising into the air from the hood of Kagome's car. "Like I said, we have a place for you to stay over night, but to be honest, I don't see any way of fixing it right now. The nearest town is miles from here, and the only closest place to even get a cell phone connection would be at the Takahashi's down the road- which is where I'm headed.

"If I were you, seeing as how it's getting dark, you should probably just hop on in. Anything you have in the vehicle will be completely safe because there isn't anyone around for miles. Not to mention...you look like you're pretty much ready to pass out."

Well, she certainly did feel like she was ready for a good snooze. She glanced at the truck packed full of stuff. "Sounds like a good plan...but your truck looks jam-packed."

"Nonsense," Sango said with a wave, I just have to clean out some room for you in the back. Hope you don't mind staring at the stars on the drive back."

Kagome smiled. That didn't sound like a half-bad idea. She quickly opened up her own car, grabbed a suitcase from the back, and locked it up tight. "You think I'll be able to come back here with a tow truck?"

Sango shook her head. "The only tow would be two towns over, which is usually where we take our tractors if they break down on us. I would say that your best bet is to call up the tow first thing tomorrow morning and tell them to meet you at the Takahashi's. More than likely, there won't be a tow over here for another two weeks. Lots of acres to cover, you know?"

Kagome sighed. She figured something like that would happen. Go figure. This is pretty much what she got for trying to take the scenic route. Right at that moment, she felt like cursing both her mother and her husband for suggesting her to even take a break. But who knows? Maybe this will be an experience to remember.

The somewhat long drive to the Takahashi's establishment was a quiet drive. She had enjoyed watching the stars and watching the trees as they zoomed on by. She could tell that Sango wasn't paying attention to the speedometer because of how fast she felt they were going. She was pretty sure that people out here broke the speed limit constantly, seeing as there was no one else around to catch them.

Just as she had begun to wonder what it would be like to be living in Sango's shoes, they came to nice, slow stop. When she popped her head up, there were fire lanterns lit rather prettily, giving the area a bit of candlelight glow.

She hopped out of the truck when Sango let down the latch and she dragged her two bags and purse along with her. She smiled when someone came out to greet them. "Ah, Sango, you were a little late, so I had begun to worry that this old truck was beginning to give out on you."

"Well, if that had happened, I'd have probably had to come walking – and it would have taken even longer," she laughed, "I accidentally left the tools in the shed."

The older woman shook her head, "Well, you know, you were taking so long, poor Miroku passed out in some hay at the barn. I ended up dragging him to a bed. He's still pretty knocked out. I guess that cattle really got to him."

"Hmm," Sango said, "that's unusual. I think he's just trying to get out of doing his chores, honestly."

The two women laughed before Sango gestured in Kagome's direction, "She's part the reason I'm late getting back. This one's car broke down on the road- she might've blown a gasket or the radiator's got a crack in it or something. In either case, it was getting pretty late, so I told her to go ahead and come along."

"I see," the woman said, "poor deary, there won't be a tow truck around for days."

"It's okay," Kagome said with a wave, "I'm on a limitless vacation anyway." She smiled kindly at the woman. "My name is Kagome Higurashi," she bowed politely to the woman, "I hope you don't mind me imposing on you for a while if what Sango says is true."

The woman bowed back to her, just as politely, "My name is Izayoi Takahashi, my husband, Toga, won't be around until the morning. Are you hungry at all? Come, Sango is going to put away the truck and will be in shortly."

Kagome nodded her thanks, "Thank you, but I must ask your forgiveness if I don't eat too much," she said with an apologetic smile, "I'm not too hungry, and with all the snacks I packed for the road...well...let's just say not a whole lot of settled well in the heat."

They chatted for a short while as Izayoi set a room up for her and allowed her to get comfortable for the night. Kagome didn't have much to think about other than what was in store for her the following day.

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Kagome blinked at the sunlight filtering in through the open window. She couldn't really remember leaving it open, but she definitely remembered everything that transpired the day before. With a sigh, she got ready for the day, even if it _was_ quite early.

She was use to this particular time of the day, of course. When the hues of the sun peeked over the horizon line and gave the world some light was a comforting reminder that she wasn't lost. That she was right on track and things were going just fine.

She managed to find a signal on her cell to let Houjo know she was fine, but she wasn't even sure if it had gone through or not. In either case, she never did receive a reply.

Kagome had made her way outside and leaned up against the rounded wooden fence that separated a large pasture from the house she was temporarily residing in. Kagome sighed as she leaned up against the post, stroking her hair back behind her ear. What was she going to do now that there wouldn't be a tow truck for a good two weeks? And god only _knew_ how long it would take to get the car to the nearest mechanic. She couldn't sit in a tow truck for two weeks straight...there had to be another alternative.

She didn't notice someone come up beside her until she heard a distinct click of a cigarette lighter. She looked to her left and saw that a man, looking to be about her age, was holding a cigarette to his mouth, eyes closed. He had white hair that seemed to contrast greatly with everything around him. She took note of his ripped jeans and oddly large red t-shirt. When he opened his eyes, he pulled the cigarette from his lips and blew out some smoke and gave her a wonderful view of glowing golden hues. She saw the small triangular ears twitch atop his head and immediately wanted to reach out and touch them.

"You're the girl Mom was talking 'bout," he said.

Kagome nodded, not really sure if she was, indeed, who she said she was and choosing to ignore her impulsive wants. "My name is Kagome," she said with a slight smile.

"Keh," He said, flicking his cigarette, "Inuyasha. So you from the city or something?"

"No, actually," she said, "I'm from Tokyo, Japan," she wrapped an arm around the post and leaned her head against it. "I'm guessing you are one of the Takahashi's family members? Or are you related to Sango in some way?"

He grunted, "I'm a Takahashi. Izayoi is my mother." Kagome made an 'oh' with her mouth and nodded her head.

They stood in silence for a rather long time. They were comfortable in each other's company, but the second the sun peaked over the horizon, he left in some random direction and the house was suddenly alive. Kagome turned and leaned her back against the post of the fence. She smiled.

Inuyasha Takahashi didn't seem like a bad person.

Perhaps things would look brighter as the day trudged on.


	3. Chapter 02: It Happens For a Reason

**_Hope you like the chapter!_**

* * *

 ** _Chapter_02: Coincidence, Chance, or Fate?  
(It Happens For a Reason)_**

"Well, I guess we could just...push it," Sango muttered, scratching her head. Miroku, her boyfriend from what Kagome had assumed, was standing next to her. He had a rather short, low ponytail right at the base of his neck. Solid black hair with violet colored eyes. He wasn't half bad looking. Inuyasha stood beside him, and the two were currently trying to hook her car up to the back of the truck Sango drove. Unfortunately...her car didn't have some hook that they really needed to lever it and well...quite simply...it was stuck.

Kagome didn't rightfully know what to do. She kept rubbing her temples, attempting to get rid of the growing headache that was her car. She sighed and leaned up against the truck. "I'm guessing that it's not gonna' have much of a choice..."

"'Fraid so," Inuyasha said, scratching his own head. "Man, what'd you do? Get rid of all it's important stuff and keep what makes it pretty?"

"No, it came like that," Kagome frowned, "the damn thing is brand new, and already it's breaking down."

"Well, there's you problem!" Miroku said with a laugh, "You should know that you can't just buy a brand new car - it's gotta' be used first!"

"Well, DUH," Kagome laughed, "it was actually a gift from a friend for completing my second year of college."

"Fancy that," Miroku said, scratching his head once more. "Without a connector, I don't see how we're going to hook up this princess to the truck. It's probably just going to have to stay here 'till the mechanic can get over here."

Kagome sighed, "And _that's_ going to take forever," she sat on the back of Sango and Miroku's dirty old truck and leaned against it's left side. "My life will forever be messed up without a car."

"Oh, quit your whining," Inuyasha said, "at least you had someone around when you the car actually went out," he got up off the ground after checking the car's undersides, "most people who get stuck out here really don't have a way to get anywhere unless someone just happens along the road. And even _then_ you would have to be lucky enough for them to stop. Like Sango."

"Inuyasha's right," Sango said with a nod, "if I hadn't have stopped when I did, you would have had to walk or wait until the next trucker comes along the road. It's usually diesels that pass by here, too, but even that is pretty rare."

"In other words, what you guys are saying...I'm stuck here until we can find a better solution. My car isn't going anywhere, I haven't got a single signal bar on my cell phone, and with the nearest town being at _least_ a week away...I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere with total strangers?" Kagome said aloud. "Well. At least it can't get any worse."

Suddenly, they heard thunder rolling in. Kagome blinked. She just _had_ to open her mouth now didn't she? She shook her head. "What do we do now?"

"Leave it," Sango said, "we need to hurry up and get back to cover the crops, otherwise, they'll drown in the rain."

"And from the looks of it," Miroku said, "it's going to be a storm."

The wind was already beginning to chill and blow just a little harder from the impending storm. Kagome nodded her head and hopped into the back of the truck, just like before. Inuyasha hopped in beside her and Sango and Miroku hopped in as well.

Kagome sighed as she took one last look at the vehicle that would go nowhere for a _long_ time. She wanted and adventure, and here she was. Stuck in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do and nowhere to go. What's worse is that she couldn't even contact her husband or mother to let them know she was doing just fine.

What a way to disappear from the face of the planet.

* * *

Kagome was sitting around outside on the porch that went around the entire house. She was in the back and the storm was already hitting full force. Luckily, the porch was large enough to where she wasn't getting wet in the least. Though she was a tiny bit chilled.

Someone walked out onto the porch beside her, but she never did notice. She just brought her knees up to her chin and watched the rain. It felt like the world stopped here. And it was weird. Something she wasn't use to. She idly wondered if this was a place where people went to find adventure. She wondered if this was _her_ adventure, if she was meant to be here. She _did_ believe that everything happened for a reason, so everything was no coincidence. She just wasn't sure...

A soft, warm blanket was placed around her shoulders and she jumped, not expecting it. "Izayoi told me to bring this out for you," a deep, monotonous voice said. She looked up and stared at the coldest face she had ever laid eyes on. He was steely as he stared out into the rain. His body was lean and slightly muscled. His hair flowed down his back in a low ponytail; silky, silver strands nearly touching the floor. His golden-hued eyes were hard and set on the weather. He stood there and for a moment, she could have sworn he was a being from another planet.

She snapped out of it when he turned to go, but something compelled her to talk to him. To make him stay with her and watch the weather. "Won't you join me?" She asked, "It's sort of lonely sitting here by myself. And well...it's sort of peaceful."

"I don't like the rain," he said, again, in that deep tone. She couldn't help but to wonder if this particular demon was related to Inuyasha. He certainly _looked_ similar with the silvery-white hair and and gold eyes, but looks, honestly, could be deceiving. Despite what he told her, though, he sat beside her and leaned his back against the wall. There really wasn't any sound except for the heavy rain hitting the wooden roof overhead.

"Do you believe in fate?" Kagome asked.

"No," he replied simply.

"I don't either," Kagome said, "but you know, I _do_ believe that everything happens for a reason. Like me meeting you here. Then again, it _could_ be purely coincidental." She giggled a bit at the look on his face. "My name is Kagome, by the way."

He cracked open an eye at her and he frowned. He had already been frowning, but he was frowning nonetheless. "Sesshomaru," he replied to her widening smile.

"Nice to meet you," she said with a nod of her head. She looked back out at the rain. "I love the rain," Kagome said, "something about it makes me feel so calm. And then, when it leaves, it makes the world bright again, almost like washing away all of the sins of the world." She stretched her legs out in front of her and leaned back against the wall with him. "The rain comes and goes, but it's effect is still there. It cools the world when it get's blistering hot and keeps us cool. I don't know, just so many things about the rain that I love."

"The rain is noisy," he began, "and when you get wet, your clothes stick to your body like a second skin, making it nearly claustrophobic. Right before the rain, you can smell it. The moisture, and it takes up every smell that you're so use to. It get's unbearably hot right before the rain. And after the rain, you can't smell anything _but_ the rain, and hunting becomes problematic because it has washed away all of the vital scents needed to hunt game."

Kagome blinked before laughing. "I never thought of it like that," she said, "I guess there are some downsides to the rain, but it can't possibly be all that bad." The rain began to slow to a light patter. "It can be fun, too. Like splashing in the puddles or dancing in it."

It almost seemed like he scoffed at what she had said. Suddenly, Miroku walked out onto the porch and gave the two a surprised look. Kagome noticed Sesshomaru go rigid beside her before he stood and left the porch. The moment was broken. "What was he doing out here?" Miroku asked, "He never spends time with anyone..."

"What?" Kagome asked, not really sure she heard right. "Why doesn't he spend time with anyone?"

"Well...because of Rin," Miroku shook his head, "That's a story for another day. Come, dinner is almost set at the table."

Kagome nodded her head and stood. She stretched out her sore limbs from sitting in the spot so long to watch the rain. She even picked up her blanket, folded it, and brought it in with her. She secretly wondered what sort of character Sesshomaru was and why he spent so much time alone. Deciding to unravel the mystery that was Sesshomaru, she followed Miroku to the dining table and they all enjoyed the nice meal - minus Sesshomaru.

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 ** _Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! I'm still working out some kinks to the story, so that's why the chapters are a little on the slow side. X3 Anyways, don't forget to review to tell me how horrible I am at making this last! Lol!_**


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